College Sports Established
1947
Location
Houston, Texas
College Name
Texas Southern University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division I
1954 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
1954 - Present / Southwestern Athletic Conference
Nickname
Tigers - The Texas Southern Tigers have been a long-standing member of the NCAA since their founding in 1947. As one of the most successful programs in college sports, it’s no surprise that they have such an iconic nickname. But where did this name come from?
It all started in 1953 when then-athletic director John W. Jackson changed the school’s mascot from “the Maroons” to “the Tigers." This was done as a tribute to legendary coach and former TSU football player Coach Clyde Lee who had recently passed away after leading his team for more than 20 years with great success. Many felt that honoring him with such an iconic nickname would be fitting for his memory and legacy at Texas Southern University (TSU).
Since its inception, the Tiger has become one of the most recognizable mascots not only within collegiate athletics but also throughout society as a whole due to its strong symbolism associated with power, courage, strength, and determination - qualities that are essential components needed for any successful athletic program or individual athlete striving towards greatness on any field of play!
As we continue our journey through history together, let us remember that behind every great university lies stories like these which help shape our understanding of why certain nicknames were chosen over others - so next time you see your beloved Texas Southern Tigers, take pride knowing how much thought went into giving them their unique moniker!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1947
- 1965
- 1990
- 2012
-
Beginning of Texas Southern Tigers
The Texas Southern Tigers have a long and storied history in the NCAA. Established in 1947, they are one of the oldest teams to compete at this level. The team has been incredibly successful over the years, winning numerous championships since its inception. -
Baseball Program First Season
The baseball program’s first season was 1965, and it has been a member of the NCAA Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference since the start of the 1999 season. Its home venue is MacGregor Park, owned by the city of Houston. The program has appeared in 5 NCAA Tournaments. It has won five conference tournament championships and no regular season conference ... -
Candy Robinson Baseball Coach
Texas Southern’s longest tenured head coach was Candy Robinson, who has coached the team from 1990 to 2008. -
2012 NCAA sanctions on TS Tigers
In October 2012, the NCAA found Texas Southern University guilty of repeated rules violations in 13 sports over a seven-year period from 2005 to 2012. The most serious violations occurred within the football and men’s basketball programs, involving academic fraud, illicit benefits given to student athletes, lying on the part of coaches, and lying to the NCAA about previously self-imposed ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Tigers
Texas Southern Tigers sports team is one of the NCAA's most iconic and successful teams. Founded in 1947, Texas Southern University (TSU) has a long and illustrious history as an athletic powerhouse. The school's football program became the first historically black college to play in a bowl game when they represented the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) at the 1967 Orange Blossom Classic against Florida A&M University. Since then, TSU has produced some of collegiate athletics' most outstanding players, including NFL Hall-of-Famer Warren Moon, Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis and NBA All-Star Clyde Drexler.
The Tigers have also enjoyed tremendous success on both sides of their basketball court since joining Division I play during the 1988–89 season under legendary head coach Bob Hopkins who led them to six NCAA Tournament appearances over his 11-year tenure with TSU – including four consecutive tournament berths from 1992–95 where they reached two Sweet Sixteens for the only time ever! Their men’s basketball program continued its success after Coach Hopkins left by winning five SWAC titles between 2000 & 2013 while making three more trips back into Big Dance with notable wins over Michigan State Spartans & Purdue Boilermakers a long way too!
Today’s Texas Southern Athletics are still going strong thanks primarily due their current leadership under Director Charles McClelland, who was hired in 2014 to bring new life back into Tiger Nation through modernizing facilities such as H&PE Arena, which now serves home Volleyball/Basketball programs, plus he also helped launch Golf Program 2016 that made it all way 2018 MEAC Championship Game before losing out championship title Norfolk State Spartans last Spring! With all these significant accomplishments happening down south Houston, we can expect an even brighter future from our beloved Texas Southern Tigers Sports Team soon, so stay tuned, folks, because this story is just getting started… Go TIGERS!!